Ugandan hospital wants to sell unclaimed dead bodies

Dead body in a mortuary

Dead body in a mortuary

July 2016, The Managers of a hospital in Uganda are contemplating selling unclaimed dead bodies to universities and other research and training institutions due an increased habit of people abandoning relatives’ bodies at the medical facility reports the Daily Monitor.

Moroto Regional Referral Hospital in the Northern Region of Uganda was unable to carry out post-mortem on accident victims last month since its mortuary was full of unclaimed bodies occupying all the space.

The overload of the dead bodies created a strong stench in the hospital which forced patients to desert wards and seek shelter under trees outside the hospital. Although the Municipal council collected some bodies the hospital is still ‘stuck’ with several unclaimed bodies.

The hospital management came to the decision due to the mentioned reasons and also because eight of its staff members of arrested for neglect.

“If we only get a fridge, we shall keep those bodies and we sell them to universities for their students’ practical lessons. This will help us keep our mortuary clean,” Dr Filbert Nyeko the hospital director

The Municipal council was also accused by the hospital director for not cooperating with the hospital. He further said that the hospital management was organising to meet with key stake holders over the proposal adding that the hospital has no cemetery to bury unclaimed bodies.